I want to re-install windows on an old laptop because it's super slow and needs sorting out.

I've tried to enter BIOS to swip to boot to CD for the XP disk I have, and it's wants a password to enter the BIOS. Now I've never set one on this sp no idea what it is, so is there any other way to Format the HD and re-install windows without having to enter BIOS?

F12 often brings up the boot once menu.

Wait for BIOS to finish and press F12. May offer you the option to boot from CD/Floppy etc..

If it still asks for a password, take the bios battery out for 10 mins or so, you will also loose time and date, but the password setting will also reset.

or start the cd in windows, select install etc and it will copy the data to the hard drive so you dont need to boot from cd to install it

In my motherboard box there is a shorting plug to 2 pins near the HHD plug! short these out and it worked for me!!

What laptop? If its an old IBM thinkpad then it depends on what passwords are set; some you can get around easily, some with difficulty, and some require a complete motherboard replacement (I kid you not)

Tried the F12 but no boot option there ....

Tried taking the BIOS battery out underneath, left it for 20 minutes still the same.....

Dell laptop, not IBM, hope it doesn't need that.

No idea which plugs you mean that need shorting .....

If I install from the CD in Windows I presumeably wont get the option to format the HDD which is what I really want to do.

Any more thoughts?

Getting into the BIOS won't help you format or delete a partition

Boot windows in command line mode (either from HD or the Windows CD) and use fdisk to delete the partition.

Be aware that most Laptops have additional hidden partition containing set up files & drivers.

You can down load Partition Logic burn it to cd and then boot from the CD to examine and delete/edit/format partitions.

This is a very powerful tool based on Linux -- easy to use but take care not to delete any partition you want to keep. Only bug I found is it dosen't work with some USB mice.
url http://partitionlogic.org.uk/

[Edited on 19/4/08 by britishtrident]

For a Bios password try---

http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml

Mines a Phoenix BIOS, so looks like there may be some help there on the BIOS web site.

I'm sure I've formatted HDD before, but maybe I can't remember how, so I may need some help. Basically I want to format the HDD and re-install Windows so everything is nice and clean and fresh.

Can anybody give me a simple walk through if I can get the password sorted.

I have a bootable Windows XP disk. I need to know everything including what's the best format for the HDD - eg FAT 32 or NTFS (or whatever it is).

Thanks for all you help as usual

F12 should be the boot order for a Dell laptop - for the last few years at least!

Have you tried hitting the key repeatedly during BIOS?

I'd format it FAT32 if I were you. If it's an older laptop the drive may fail and if it's FAT32 it'll be much easier to get the contents off it. NTFS is great for larger drives and better security but on an older machine I'd just not bother!

Does it have a floppy drive and does that try to boot before the HDD?

What model is the Dell? I do have a BIOS tool for Dell's which may help but it doesn't work on all models.

Ok, so by putting the boot disk in it's asked to set up from cd which is good. I've gone in and tried to format the HDD but it keeps coming back with an error message saying the HDD is knackered and can't be formatted. Tried it both Quick and full in FAT and NTFS. No joy.

It's a Dell 2650 Inspiron, so if anybody got an old HDD that will fit let me know! In the meantime I will try to load XP without formattting the HDD.

After a few attepmted it did finally format and now loading windows fine - -yeeeehah!!

Thanks for all the help as usual techie chaps